7 habits from the 1970s that need to make a comeback in 2025

Let’s start with the elephant in the room: I wasn’t alive in the 1970s.

It feels strange, perhaps silly, to even say that I miss something from a decade I never knew firsthand. But here’s the thing: the more I hear my parents and grandparents talk about that era, the more I realize there are certain habits from the ’70s that would actually improve life today.

We live in a hyper-digital, over-scheduled world, and sometimes it feels like we’ve over-optimized the simple joys right out of our lives. The 1970s had its flaws (no decade is perfect), but it also had some cultural practices worth dusting off and bringing back into 2025.

So, let’s take a look at seven of them.

1. Sitting down for real meals together

Growing up, my parents used to tell me how dinner time wasn’t just about food—it was about family. No one was scrolling on their phone, no one was rushing out the door. It was a time to sit, talk, and actually connect.

Today, most of us are lucky if we eat together once a week, let alone every night. Research has consistently shown that shared meals strengthen family bonds, improve mental health, and even help kids do better academically. Yet, we’ve let the ritual slip away in favor of convenience.

Bringing this back doesn’t mean every night needs to be a three-course home-cooked meal. It could just mean carving out intentional time—phones down, laptops closed—to share food and conversation. That habit alone could change the way we relate to each other.

2. Writing letters by hand

I love this one. Perhaps, it’s the writer in me. 

In the ’70s, if you wanted to tell someone you missed them, you grabbed a pen and wrote it out. No emojis. No disappearing Snap messages. Just words on a page that carried a bit of your personality.

Handwritten letters are slower, yes, but that’s the point. From a psychological perspective, slowing down to write forces you to clarify your thoughts in a way digital communication doesn’t.

Imagine the impact of receiving a heartfelt handwritten note in 2025. It’s rare, which makes it powerful. Maybe it’s time we brought that habit back—not for every conversation, but for the ones that matter.

3. Walking everywhere you could

Cars were obviously around in the ’70s, but my grandparents often talked about how much more people walked.

To the shops. To see a friend. Even just for the sake of getting fresh air.

As I see it, walking isn’t just good exercise—it’s meditation in motion. It’s associated with more creativity and as noted by the folks at WebMD, it can even ease symptoms of anxiety and depression. 

In 2025, many of us default to Uber, scooters, or even ordering everything to our door. But walking is literally a super habit!

4. Hosting casual get-togethers

As far as I’ve gathered, the 1970s weren’t about Instagram-worthy dinner parties with curated playlists and $100 bottles of wine.

More often, people just showed up at each other’s houses with a six-pack or a dish to share. It wasn’t about impressing anyone—it was about being together.

Somewhere along the way, socializing became a production. And that pressure makes many of us socialize less, or only in expensive settings. But research on happiness consistently shows that strong social connections are one of the biggest predictors of well-being.

What if instead of waiting for the perfect moment, we brought back the casual hangout? Less formality, more authenticity.

5. Reading books for fun

Sure, people still read today—but not in the same way. In the ’70s, without smartphones or streaming, grabbing a book was the go-to form of entertainment.

My parents say they’d spend hours lost in novels without the constant pull of notifications.

Reading books has a different cognitive impact than skimming articles or scrolling social media. One study even found that just six minutes of reading lowered stress levels by 68%.

Maybe we don’t need to binge another show on Netflix. Maybe what we need is to rediscover the joy of curling up with a book for no reason other than the pleasure of it.

6. Making things last

There was a culture of repair in the 1970s that feels foreign today. Clothes were mended, appliances were fixed, and people weren’t quick to throw things out the second they broke.

Now? We live in an era of fast fashion and built-in obsolescence. Things aren’t made to last, and we’ve become conditioned to constantly replace. Not only is this bad for the environment, but it also leaves us disconnected from the value of what we own.

Bringing back a mindset of repair and maintenance doesn’t just save money—it’s a shift in perspective. When you fix something, you build a relationship with it. You value it more. That’s something we desperately need in our throwaway culture.

7. Embracing slow living

The 1970s weren’t necessarily “slow” by design, but life moved at a different pace. Without the constant buzz of smartphones, people had more unstructured time. More patience. More room to simply be.

Eastern philosophy often emphasizes slowing down and living with intention. Lao Tzu said, “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” That line could have been the unofficial motto of the ’70s.

Contrast that with 2025, where “busy” is worn like a badge of honor. But busyness is often just a distraction from what matters. What if instead we chose to slow down—cook a meal from scratch, go for a walk without headphones, or just sit quietly without reaching for our phones?

The irony is, slowing down often makes us more productive and more fulfilled.

Final words

I wasn’t around in the 1970s, so I can’t pretend it was some golden age. But the stories my parents and grandparents tell me make me wonder if we’ve lost more than we’ve gained in some areas.

Technology has made life faster, easier, and more connected—but it’s also stripped away certain habits that kept us grounded, healthier, and closer to each other.

Bringing back even a few of these ’70s habits in 2025 could help us find more balance in a world that never seems to stop moving.

The question is: which of these are you willing to try first?